Narrated by Robert Powell and using archival film dating back to 1896, the History Channel's sweeping review of the 20th century as seen through its armed conflicts takes you from Lawrence of Arabia through the liberation of Kuwait. The 7-volume series opens with The Violent Century, a look at the defining characteristics of modern war and the weapons that revolutionized combat. Volumes covering World War I witness the national tensions that may have made it inevitable, the grim realities of trench warfare, the innovations of the fighter plane and the submarine, and the harsh terms of the Axis surrender that set the stage for World War II. That conflict is heavily documented here, from Hitler's blitzkrieg across Europe through the Battle of Britain, the U.S. war with Japan in the Pacific, the fighting around the Mediterranean, the Normandy landings, the defeat of Germany, and the dropping of the atom bombs on Japan. The last volumes focus on the Cold War and conflicts in Asia—in particular the United States' long slog through Vietnam—and tensions in the Middle East, including Israel's fights with various Arab neighbors, battles over oil, and the new realities of computer-age weapons and the increasing role of terrorism.